Losing Grip
by IAmNotImportant
Summary: Jara is known as "The Loser Of Tulsa High", until Sodapop Curtis takes on a bet and has to make her Miss. Popularity in a month. Helping her in her looks, social life, and love-life(her crush on Pony), but will he realize something too late?
1. Prologue

Title: _Losing Grip_

Rating: PG-13(Just to be on the safe side)

Summary: Jara, is known as "The Loser of Tulsa High" but after a bet Sodapop Curtis takes, he has only 2 months to make her into the most popular girl in school. With his help he will transform her from a geeky girl into the most beautiful thing that ever walked the face of the earth. He will help her in her looks, her crush with Ponyboy, and much more. The thing is, will Soda become too close to her?……..Is he starting to realize something else too? And is it too late for him to take the bet back?

A/N: Just before you start reading this, some of you might think the idea of this fic is like, the movie "She's All That"………..Well, it isn't but I realized it kind of has some of the same elements as the movie so, please, I hope you don't have a problem with that.

I also have Sodapop still in High-School, just to make it clear**.**

****

It started off like any other day. I'd somehow stumble out of bed after 20 minutes of screaming at my mom "**FIVE MORE MINUTES!!**" then I'd have what I guess you would refer too as my breakfast (Half a bagel, washed down with some soda), and then I'd run to catch up to the school bus.

Now, maybe I should skip ahead………..

But! I must continue with the bus, just to set the mood of my story, of our story.

"**Stop! Stop!**" I yelled to the moving school bus, I ran along it, on the side of the street. I could see the kids peering out from the windows, pointing and laughing of course. 

"**Come on, Lady! Stop the bus, she's been running for a block now**" Ponyboy Curtis yelled from his seat.

***sigh *…….Ponyboy Curtis……I could say that name forever and it would never be worn out.**

As you can tell, and I hope you already realized it. I happen to have the hugest crush on him. No, I'm IN-LOVE WITH HIM! I dream only about him! He's smart, cute, tuff, and just plain sweet.

Does he feel the same way about me? Of course not!

I'd die if he knew…………….

But like he would notice anyway, no one ever notices me. Wait, that's not true. They recognize me as the school "Loser'. Not just **_A_** loser but **_THE_** loser…Get my point?

I don't really know why. Maybe, it's because I'm in every AP class, maybe it's because I'm not as pretty as the other girls, or maybe it's the way I dress...Like I said, I don't know!

I panted hard as I saw the school bus come to a halt, and thanking god silently I stepped onto it. 

"**Thank you, thanks**" I said to the bushy-haired bus-driver but as I turned, all that anxiety I had yesterday came flooding back to me.

I hated this part, and everyday I would forget about it until the next morning.

What I'm talking about is the part where I have to walk down the crowded aisle and find a seat.

Sounds simple? It's not! It's hell. As I walk by the glaring and laughing kids, I look down at seats to find one.

Most of them are filled and others, well, whoever sat there would quickly put there book-bag to their side and with a snarl they'd say "Don't even think about it, loser"

I came towards the back of the bus now, where I liked to call "Greaser territory".  Only the hoods or popular kids really sat here. 

I was neither, I wasn't popular and I wasn't a Greaser.

 I lived on the middle-class part of town, much like my personality, I guess. I was average, only average…. I hated the term with a passion.

I looked up and saw Sodapop Curtis eyeing me, with a raised eyebrow. 

I tensed a little and stared back but I soon saw him move his lips and say "**You know, sweet-heart, to save yourself the embarrassment, you should really just walk to school**" 

"**But it's too far**" I replied, nervously.

"**Then don't come!**" He responded, I could hear snickering from the back. He then turned and put his arm around a girl that sat next to him, she was pretty, she nuzzled his neck and he kissed her shoulder.

I looked away and stood there, wanting to start bawling, I always wanted to cry.

"**Jara, you can sit with me, it's empty here**" I heard a soft voice say to me

I turned my head and saw Pony pushing his back-pack to the side to make room for me, me, me, me, me, me, me

**ME!!! Ok, I think you get the point.**

I could see some of his Greaser friends telling him "**What are you doing**!" but he just shrugged them off and whispered, "**I just can't leave her to stand there**"

I sat down, and gazed back at Pony who just smiled slightly at me, then out the window.

I sighed quietly, and sitting back, thinking this was all a dream.

A/N: This didn't have much on what I have planned, but I'm just getting the story started. Hope you don't think it sucks or anything, don't worry, like I said in my other story "This fic IS going somewhere"


	2. The Bet

Title: Losing Grip  
  
A/N: Yes, I know, the first chapter was like the beginning of "Spiderman". I get it. Pony's Kirsten Dunst and Jara is Tobey Mcguire....lol.  
  
  
  
To Lil Chaos Angel: I'm sorry that you happened to find so many mistakes in my story. The first chapter wasn't supposed to be a real one; I was just sort of setting the mood of this fic, parody of "She's All That" or even Spiderman, Whatever. I'm glad you gave me some constructive criticism though. And yes, all your questions on what Jara's looks and bio will be answered in this chapter.  
  
  
  
Still A/N: Oh! I know, Sodapop is a little ooc but not necessarily. In the novel, the part where Pony is at the drive-in with Johnny and Dally, he said that if Soda was there. He'd probably join Dally in all the crude comments he was making to Cherry and Marcia. So, we all know that Soda's a sweetheart but he's not an angel. Anyway, hopefully he'll be acting like "the Sodapop we all love" in the next chapters.  
  
  
  
STILL A/N(You guys are tired of me bitchin'): This is for Rina, or any die hard Sodapop fans. SANDY WILL NOT BE IN THIS FIC! Maybe, a little apperence but that's it. Zippo, nada, finito!  
  
Also, I know Pony is only 13 but I'm bumping him up to 14. Jara is the same age for the first half of the fic(Yes, I hoped you already guessed it)  
  
Soda is still 17. The thing is, he JUST turned 17.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
SODA'S POV  
  
  
  
Monday  
  
  
  
The day we students go back to school. The day you see your friends and just brag about your weekend. Me on the other hand, I already see my friends everyday so, I always skip the weekend part.  
  
  
  
I head straight to my favorite class.  
  
Which is.....Lunch!!  
  
  
  
  
  
It's not like I was starving, I was able to at least have 2 slices of chocolate cake before the guys came and ate the rest.  
  
I was just eager to see a certain someone. No, it wasn't Sandy.  
  
It has been over a year now since she moved away to Florida. I haven't dated as much after she left but it doesn't mean I haven't flirted as well either.  
  
Hey, what can I say? I love women.  
  
But "she" was different. She was beautiful, sexy, smart,....AND TOTALLY OFF MY LIMITS!!!  
  
The thing about her, that flaw. Was that she was a Soc  
  
And unfortunately, not one of those poor little girls who don't care at all about money but have been raised in the luxury of......Blah,blah,blah...Like I said, She wasn't one of those either.  
  
She was a full-on Soc. I mean, her brother, which I will leave unnamed for now and I'll just refer to him as "Madras Moron", is practically the leader of the Soc's and I just know if I ever asked her out he'd probably send a couple of his rich but still lazy friends to pounce on me.  
  
I don't want to end up Soc meat if you get what I'm saying, which you probably don't.  
  
Not that I'm afraid of those ass-holes but you got to keep into consideration that.....One against five is not fair.  
  
Unless I was superman or better yet, Spiderman!(A/N: hehehe)  
  
So, again, and I'll just put it in a First grade kind of way.  
  
Soc-y Girl + Grease-y Boy + Soc-y Girl's bro = A really bad kicking of Grease-y Boy's ass.  
  
  
  
I look around the crowded cafeteria and soon spot her sitting by the window.  
  
Her long blonde hair shines especially with the sun beaming on it, She's with a group of her friends and is giggling about something.  
  
Then....  
  
Her eyes are suddenly on me, and I can't stop staring back at her big blue eyes.  
  
She smiles brightly and starts waving at me, or is she waving me over?  
  
Me being the complete idiot I am, I wave back and I then feel someone walk from behind me and say "Hey, Tracy! Sorry, I'm late. Mr. Giffin wanted to talk about my History project and how the progress of eye-make-up from the 18OO's is not exceptable.."  
  
She's talking to Tracy, the girl I've been gushing about.  
  
So, she wasn't waving at me and she wasn't smiling at me either.  
  
Damn.....  
  
I sigh and take what's left of my dignity, and trudge over to a semi-empty part of the long cafeteria table.  
  
I sit down, just to be greeted by big smiles, this time directed to me.  
  
"Hey, Soda" Cassandra, the head of the Drama club said to me.  
  
"Hi, Sodapop. You look really good with that shirt today" and Karla, the president of the Spanish club greeted, shyly to me.  
  
I just grin.  
  
  
  
Yup, there's nothing wrong with Sodapop Curtis. I still got it.  
  
"Hey, girls' I reply, looking back at Tracy Gardner.  
  
Tracy. What a...OK, it was a pretty ordinary kind of name but right now, her name was the least on my mind.  
  
"Soda, Soda, Soda" Steve repeated at he sat down next to me.  
  
I turned to him "Yeah?"  
  
"You're still checking that Soc girl out, aren't you?" He asked, taking a bite out of his sandwich, he must of gone ahead and brought it at the Deli down the street.  
  
"You know me too well" I simply replied, as I snatched the coke he had next to him.  
  
"I do, but when Super Soc finds out you're all over his lil sis....."  
  
I interrupted "I'll be dead, I know the story already" I said, shaking my head.  
  
"Just need to warn ya, you know how you are, you see a pretty face and you just have to have them" Steve replied.  
  
"I do not" I muttered but knew I was lying to myself.  
  
"Yeah, yeah" Steve said "Whatever you say" He finished shoving another piece of the sandwich into his mouth.  
  
"Hey, Grease" Suddenly there were about three or four Soc surrounding us. They sat down, one next to me and another by Steve's side.  
  
  
  
The other two sat across the table, putting their arm around the two girls that had been "friendly" with me just moments before.  
  
"I see you're still staring at my little sister, Grease" Bob said, looking over at the table near the window and then back at me, a weird smile on his face.  
  
I looked over Bob's shoulder to Steve and gave him the "There goes the him finding out scenario" expression.  
  
Steve nodded then glared at the Soc next to him who took a piece of his ham sandwich.  
  
"What of it?" I shot back, raising my chin. I wasn't going to let a couple of rich kids get to me.  
  
Bob rose an eyebrow "I bet you'd like to ask her out, wouldn't you?" He asked. That punch in the face I was expecting any moment still not coming.  
  
"Why would I tell you" I replied, crossing my arms.  
  
He laughed. An odd sort of loud snort really.  
  
He put an arm around my shoulders and said "Well, I got a great deal for you"  
  
"Deal?" I heard Steve blurt out.  
  
"What kind of deal?" I asked, shrugging his arm off me.  
  
"A bet" Bob replied. I heard the Soc across the table snicker.  
  
I looked at him then back at Bob "Why in the hell do you think I would make a bet with you?" I huffed.  
  
"...Fine, then that date with my sister is out of the question. Come on, guys let's go find a couple of other Greasers that are more interested....." Bob said, getting up and his groupies doing the same.  
  
"I could find another girl," I blurted out.  
  
I felt Steve poke me hard in the ribs and I just looked at him "Ow" I hissed.  
  
"Are you out of you mind!?" He whispered but before I could answer him, Bob sat back down.  
  
"Oh, really? That easy?" He asked, skeptical.  
  
I stared at him and with both my eyebrows raised and the cockiest grin I learned from Dally, I said "Yeah, that easy"  
  
He laughed, and soon his little gang followed suit.  
  
"You hear that guys? this Greaser thinks he can find someone better than my sister, is it just me, or am I the only one who's not buying that?" He asked out-loud.  
  
"It's not you, Bob" A couple of his trained lap dogs replied.  
  
"I thought so. I hated when people say things like that, I just hate it" Bob said, leaning forward so that he was merely inches away from my face.  
  
"Isn't that a shame,......I could find *anyone * better than you're sis" I managed to say back.  
  
I knew I was lying. Tracy was a fox, one of the prettiest girls in school compared to Cherry Valance.  
  
I saw a flash of anger appear on Bob's face then it was replaced with an un- readable expression.  
  
"You mean, "anyone"? Any girl?" He asked, sitting back.  
  
I nodded "You heard me"  
  
"Hmmm....Sorry, but I'm a little challenged...."  
  
I interrupted "Oh, we ALL know that"  
  
Steve laughed "Aint' that the truth" He commented. The Soc next to him, who I'm pretty sure is named Randy, pushed him.  
  
I swear, I thought Bob was going to slug me right there and than but clenching his fists, he continued.  
  
"Like I was saying, before being rudely interrupted...If I were to say.....you see that girl over there......no, not her, yeah her....that she was your next conquest, would you still be saying that she was better than Tracy?"  
  
Bob pointed to a small redhead, with curly hair and freckles. She was in my Chem. Class, Her name was Catherine.  
  
"Not unless he's blind" I heard Randy say. This time Steve pushed him.  
  
"Sure. A little make-up, a bottle of gel, and you got a knock out" I said to Bob, ignoring the fight that was beginning to un-ravel behind him.  
  
He laughed 'you got guts, Soda" He said.  
  
"How about that girl over there?" The snickering Soc across the table chimed in.  
  
I looked back, and saw a pretty hefty girl with long brunette hair walk by.  
  
"Hmmm" I hummed, thinking, my tongue on the side of my mouth.  
  
"Give her two or three months at the gym, a hair-cut, the right clothes, and you got yourself another Audrey Hephurn look-a-like"  
  
"Audrey Hephurn!?" He said, wide-eyed.  
  
"Yeah, You see how she's got the little pointed nose thing going on?......"  
  
"Care to put some money where your mouth is?" Bob piped in once more.  
  
I looked at him "Money......in my mouth. Sorry, I don't speak Soc"  
  
He rolled his eyes "I got an idea......But's a bet" He said.  
  
"Again with this bet thing" I sighed.  
  
"What kind of bet?" Steve suddenly asked.  
  
I looked at him, not believing that he was actually even asking.  
  
"What? He did mention some money," He said, innocently.  
  
Money, Hmm, that didn't sound too bad actually.  
  
"Go on" I told Bob, nodding.  
  
"Well, you just showed us that you could make any girl into a knock- out...."  
  
"Right.." I pushed.  
  
"...The prom, it's coming up in two months. I say, we pick a girl that you have to transform into Miss. Popularity. You show her to us at The Prom and you win the bet"  
  
"What do we win?" I asked, still not buying all of this.  
  
"Two-hundred bucks..."  
  
Bob said, taking out the money right in front of our Greaser eyes and placing it on the table.  
  
"He'll do it!" Steve quickly agreed, slamming his hand down on the money.  
  
"Hey! You don't get the money until I see the girl" Bob said, slapping his hand away "How stupid do you think I am" He added.  
  
"How much stupid is there?" Steve muttered, rubbing his hand.  
  
"Let me get this straight. You're saying that I have to give some strange chick a freakin' makeover and I get two hundred bucks. Thank but no thanks" I replied, shaking my head.  
  
Steve sighed noisily  
  
".....Wait, there's more. You bring the broad to the Prom and if you did everything we told you. You get the money AND.....Well, it is the Prom, isn't it?....You get to.....I don't know..,,.Dance the night away with Tracy or whatever."  
  
This got my attention. "You're bluffing."  
  
"Believe me. This is not my way of bluffing," He said.  
  
"And if I lose?" I asked, but I knew the decision was already made in my head.  
  
"If you lose....We'll tell you when you do" Bob answered, laughing. His trainees as well.  
  
"Maybe, you're right, Soda. This bet is stupid" Steve said but before I could give his comment a second thought, I was already shaking hands with Bob and saying "Take you're pick!"  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
STEVE'S POV  
  
  
  
  
  
I thought this was a good idea at first but as I hear more and more about it, I cannot help but keep thinking, "Soda can't make some chick into Miss. Popularity. He can't even match his own clothes, how the hell was he going to transform this "victim" into something that has at least shaved legs?  
  
We were walking now; Soda was in front with Bob, who was talking so hard that I didn't have to be ahead to hear.  
  
I glared some more at Randy, as we continued to walk down the School hallway.  
  
"Your buddy doesn't even know what he's getting himself into" I heard him say.  
  
"Why don't you think a little more about you're awful hair and a little less on my friend" I said, looking ahead once more.  
  
"Hmm....Nope!" Bob shook his head as he looked at another broad.  
  
"Just pick the damn chick already!" I suddenly burst.  
  
He looked back at me and said "Patience, Grease. I can't just pick one so easily, then what's the fun in that?"  
  
What he really meant was "I have to pick the ugliest most nerdish girl in school so, that it's IMPOSSIBLE for Soda to do anything with her and he'll be able to cave in, in two weeks"  
  
I almost didn't want to know what was going to happen to Sodapop if he did lose the bet.  
  
It was our last year at this dump.  
  
We were finally seniors, and this was the year I thought we were going to blow everything off, kick back, and count the days 'till Graduation.  
  
But no.  
  
No, Soda has to go give Make-up lessons to some chick, and since he's been my best friend since fourth grade, I have to watch his back!!  
  
I see Jara Pagan trudging somewhere, probably to the library where nerds like her deserve to be, ahead of us.  
  
Then it hit me......  
  
Please, don't let it be what I think is going to happen.....  
  
  
  
"Guy's, I think we found our victim" I hear Bob say.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
SODA'S POV  
  
  
  
"Who?" I asked, looking around.  
  
"Her!" Bob answers, pointing ahead.  
  
"Where?" I still couldn't see the broad he had picked, just some loser in an over-sized sweater walking by with books up to their chin.  
  
"Her! Are you blind?" He said, pointing directly at the person I had been looking at the whole time.  
  
My face went pale and I realized who that nerd was. The queen of all losers.  
  
"Jara Pagan!" I practically yelled "Are you trippin'!? I can't make her popular in two months, she's way over the edge, She 's gone, actually. Gone!" I was babbling now, shaking my head and still...nope....yes!.....Still babbling.  
  
  
  
"Shut-up, Soda" Steve said stepping in front of me; I had my jaw to the floor at this point.  
  
"Pick someone else. That girl, is.......is......She's not even considered a girl, Soda cannot, no, NOBODY can make anyone want her....." Steve said for me.  
  
"And we're not telling you to make anyone want her. I said, you have to make her popular" Bob said, I could the other Socs laughing hysterically now.  
  
"Well, I won't do it" I managed to say, shaking my head  
  
"You already made a deal. If you back out now, that means, no money, no date with my sister, and I really don't want to tell you what we got in store for you if you don't do it"  
  
I looked down at my feet now, loss in words  
  
"What are you going to do, Sodapop?" Steve asked me.  
  
Maybe I was making a big fuss out of nothing, yeah, that's it.  
  
With some tweezers, a bath, and sexy-clothes I could make her into someone, yes, someone.  
  
And I know, she'd need that.  
  
Plus, come on! This was a date with Tracy jeopardizing , the girl I've been fantasizing about for months!  
  
"Soda?" Steve brought me out of my thoughts.  
  
I looked up at him then turned to Bob, straightening up, I said.  
  
"I'm going to make you eat your words."  
  
  
  
  
  
JARA'S POV  
  
I walk through the hallways, arms full of books. My Algebra book, my Literature book, and the two others are just for my entertainment. I feel my thick glasses begin slipping down my nose and I try to push them back up. As I shift the books in my arms, I managed to reach towards my face.  
  
I was suddenly shoved by some ass-hole and stumbled forward. Actually, to be totally truthful, I fell forward. My books and novels scattering across the floor.  
  
My glasses fell as well and as I tried getting up, I felt a tear at my long skirt. I could hear laughing from all around me but I never turned to them.  
  
The tear wasn't big, just to my side but that still didn't mean that my mom wasn't going to have a fit when she finds out that my new skirt was already torn.  
  
But why was I kidding myself, like my mom would notice. She never notices anything I do anymore.  
  
I quickly tucked my dark-brown hair behind my ear- that had become loose from the braid I wore. My hair was too long for me to let it loose. At least, that was what I thought.  
  
I would always notice the other girls walk by, flipping their long hair behind their shoulders with THAT expression on their face.  
  
That expression, that looked as if they loved being there, being at school, being with their friends,....being in their life.  
  
  
  
I sighed, loudly as I began picking up my contents but apparently the stupid Socs or Greasers thought it would be fun to kick them around.  
  
I saw my glasses near by and as I leaned forward to pick them up, someone quickly snatched them.  
  
I saw two very stylish boots standing before me and as I looked up, I saw Randy, the big-time Soc staring back down at me, a grin on his face.  
  
"Look what I found," He taunted, waving them around.  
  
"Give them back," I said, but I wasn't mad nor was I sad. I felt nothing, nothing at all.  
  
I was beginning to be frightened of myself; I was beginning to think I hated being here, this damn life of mines. Why? Why must I be treated like this?  
  
"What's the magic word?" Randy asked.  
  
"Please" I replied.  
  
"...That's a good girl, here" He dropped the glasses onto the floor and as I was reaching for them, he dropped his boot right along with it, smashing my glasses.  
  
"What the hell is your problem? What did I ever do to you?" I suddenly asked, getting up.  
  
I was getting mad now. I guess, I had emotion after all.  
  
"Maybe you being born is one part" He replied.  
  
I glared at him, but what surprised me more was the tear I felt roll down my pale cheek.  
  
"Aw, Am I hurting the little girl's feeling's?"  
  
I looked down at the floor, the laughter of other people surrounding me.  
  
I think I was the only thing both Soc's and Greaser's agreed on.  
  
They both hated me.  
  
Or at least taunted me numerous of times.  
  
"Back off, Soc. Leave her alone"  
  
Woah, was this someone actually standing up for me?  
  
And was that Ponyboy's brother!?  
  
"What are you going to do about it, Grease?" Randy said, pushing Soda backwards.  
  
"This" The Greaser ran forward, slamming Randy against the locker.  
  
"Fight, fight, fight!" Everyone chanted. Could we get anymore cliché?  
  
The Soc and Greaser wrestled on the floor but I knew those two were nowhere near hurting each other. Was it I? Or were they both fighting for a show?  
  
I rolled my eyes and began picking up my books once more, but it didn't take long before Soda was helping me.  
  
I looked over his shoulder and saw Randy walking away with some other guys who were snickering non-stop.  
  
"Here" He handed me my novel, and I just took it, staring at him, cautiously.  
  
"That guy is a real pain in the ass, thinks he can boss anyone around" He continued talking to me.  
  
Was I in the Twilight Zone or something?  
  
"What?" He asked, noticing me gawking at him.  
  
"What are you doing?" I asked.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You're talking to me like we're.....talking buddies!" I said  
  
"I just thought I'd help you pick up your books"  
  
"Well, thanks but I didn't need your help" I got up now, holding my things in my arms once more.  
  
"....Wait, I just got in a fight for "that"?" Soda asked me, with a raised eyebrow  
  
"You don't look hurt" I eyed him down and nodded "No scratches, blood, nothing"  
  
He sighed, "That's not the point..."  
  
"Then what is? You expect me to call you my hero or something?" I interrupted.  
  
"....Well...yeah" He said.  
  
I looked at him as if he was mental and with a disgusted snarl, I began walking away.  
  
"Wait. I didn't mean it like that!" He called from behind me, now following.  
  
"Ok, I get it, now, leave me alone. Go, shoo!" I shoosed him away, if that was even a word! I can't believe Pony's bro was actually speaking more than two words to me.  
  
"I need to talk to you," He said, now walking by my side.  
  
  
  
"Isn't that what we're already doing?"  
  
"You're right, now let me get down to the point," He said, taking me by the arm.  
  
"Point? There's a point?" I babbled, yanking my arm back.  
  
I didn't trust him, even if he was the relative of the most angelic boy in this school.  
  
"I need your help" He replied, looking down at me. He was a bit taller but nothing out of the ordinary, I was tall for 14 and a half.  
  
"What kind of help?" I asked, now remembering that I had left the pieces of my glasses back near the lockers.  
  
"Um......uh.....Homework! Yeah, homework" He said, nodding and smiling.  
  
I began walking once more "If you think I'm going to do your homework just because I'm a so-called loser, you're in for a rude awakening" I muttered.  
  
He started following me once more; we made it out of the entrance doors of the school and were now standing outside.  
  
"No, no, I didn't mean it like that! God, are you always this hostile?" He asked me, rolling his eyes.  
  
"You call this hostile? I can give you hostile!" I raised my voice but my attempt as a bad girl faded when I almost dropped my books again, and let out a small yelp.  
  
Soda suddenly took some of them in his arms. "Hey, give them back!" I said  
  
"Whole you're horses, Ms. Queen Of the Dammed, I'm helping ya" He said, pushing me lightly back.  
  
I glared at him  
  
"Now, where was I? Oh yeah, I need some.....tutoring" He went back to his proposal.  
  
"In what?" I asked, shifting my weight from one foot to the other.  
  
"In.....um......Art" He blurted out.  
  
"I don't take Art.....And how can anyone tutor someone in that class?" I replied back, shaking my head.  
  
"Oh!.....Did I say Art? I meant.....umm.....er" He was standing there, with his mouth open and these weird noises coming out of it.  
  
"Any day now?" I hurried; my mom was going to be here any minute now.  
  
"I don't exactly know, but I thought I could go over your house and we'd could study....everything, I'm really....really.....flunking in my classes"  
  
  
  
"I never took you as the type who cares about their school work"  
  
"Hell no.......I mean! Yeah, school's number one for me, yup, that's me, they call me "Studying Curtis"......cause I like to.....um.....study" He flashed me a huge smile.  
  
  
  
I blinked "Studying Curtis.....hmm, clever" I said, sarcastically.  
  
"So, what do you say?" He asked.  
  
"I say......I don't know"  
  
"What? Come on"  
  
  
  
"I don't think this is a good idea, go find another nerd"  
  
"But you're the nerd that was picked......I mean! You're the only one I know"  
  
"You don't know me," I said, taking my books from him.  
  
He grabbed them back.  
  
"Yeah, of course, I do.....(pause).....I hear about you from Pony all the time" He smirked at me.  
  
I felt my arms start becoming light, and my mouth gaped a bit "Ponyboy? He- he talks about me-me" I stuttered, like a love-stuck teenager, which I'm guessing I was.  
  
  
  
Soda continued to smirk "Yeah, Jara this, Jara that.....Hey, maybe he likes you"  
  
"Likes me? Really?" I said, wide-eyed.  
  
But then, what the hell was I hearing. I couldn't buy this, unless he thought I was an idiot.  
  
My shoulders slumped a little "You're lying, Pony would never talk about someone like me..."  
  
Then the most unexpected thing happened.  
  
Ponyboy, himself walked by  
  
"Hey, kid brother" Soda said, high-fiving him.  
  
He had that bright smile of his face.  
  
"We better hurry up, Two-Bit's in the car waiting," He said.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be there in a sec. Just talking to Jara, you know her" Soda said, gesturing towards me and mouthing, "I told you" to me.  
  
I tensed and smiled nervously.  
  
"Oh, hi, Jara." Pony said, giving Soda an odd look and then smiling slightly at me.  
  
Smiling.....at me!  
  
  
  
"Well, I got to go, tomorrow, after-school. You're place" I could hear Soda saying to me but I was only half-listening and too absorbed in Ponyboy. I was like a mindless zombie, as I stood there.  
  
I felt him dump the books back on my stack and lean into my ear, whispering "You're drooling a little, and everyone knows you're in-like with my brother" and with that, he put Pony in a head-lock and walked off.  
  
My jaw dropped "I'm not obvious.....wait, did he just say he was going to be at my place after school?"  
  
I then heard the continues honking from my mother's car and with a couple of blinks for me to comprehend what just happened, I left the school courtyard.  
  
  
  
Tomorrow.  
  
I feared tomorrow. 


	3. There She Goes

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**Losing Grip(Chp. 3)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of course.**

**Rating: PG-13, just to be on the same side.**

**A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long, I've working on other stuff and school as well. Anyway, since I stayed home from school today due to the stomach flu(Way to much information already, lol) I was finally able to finish this chapter. I just wanted to say that toward the end of this chappy(cute name for chapter….*hangs head*) there is something you might remember from the movie "She's All That". I admitting it, I don't care anymore, I'm stealing some things from the movie, not everything but some. **

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**_There she goes  
There she goes again  
She calls my name,  
Pulls my train  
No one else could heal my pain  
And I just can't contain  
This feeling that remains    _**

**_                          -Sixpence None the Richer _**

It's 3:30pm on a Friday afternoon.

Most kids my age are either at the mall or getting high right about now. Out of the house, doing something, something at all. 

As far as I go, I'm not doing any of those things and I'm not at any of those places. Quite the contrary, I'm doing the opposite. Which is sitting on my ass here while I wait for a one Sodapop Curtis.

Geez, I never even realized I would be checking my watch for someone like him. Never in the lifetime of a loser, a loser whom currently goes under my name. Some part of me is screaming "Get out of the house, don't wait for him like a lackey! He's probably going to play a prank on you with some of his buddies" but then there was the other side which was reassuring me that everything was going to be alright and I was only going to spend an hour, two at most, with a student who's in dire need for assistance on his homework. 

I would normally listen to my second side (Which must be the little Angel Jara on my right shoulder) if it weren't **Sodapop-the Greaser -every-girl–in-town-drools- over- Curtis**! 

I sighed, rolling over on my bed and falling off the other end. I took my time walking throughout my room as I got it at a state where it wasn't havoc but not squeaky-clean like Soda would probably think it was. 

I didn't worry about making noise, since my mother was out. **_Again_**. I almost always had the house free, if I **_had_** close friends I would invite them over and have parties without my mom ever knowing. 

And if she did, I doubt she would ground me. You see, she's a bit distant from me. Don't get me wrong, she wasn't always like that. Just one day, everything changed……..

I let out a dissatisfying grunt escape my mouth as I took a look into my bedroom mirror. It was a routine I had. I would look into the mirror, hate what I saw, and continue whatever the hell I was doing.

**_A routine_**. I blew at my long dark bangs and brushed them to the side, letting it cascade over the part of my face. As I reached for my hair clip, I stopped. The person looking back at me from the glass, my reflection, came off somewhat……Mysterious, exotic, **_not so bad_**.

Just then the doorbell rang, making me accidentally knock a few things over from the top of my drawer. "Freak" I muttered, trying not to curse out loud.

The bell rung once more, and then again, and again, and again! "I'll be right there!" I yelled, taking my fallen contents and dropping them messily on my nightstand.

Once last glance at my reflection and with a disgusted snarl, I took my clip and pulled my hair back tightly with it.

The person behind the door had taken a liking to banging on it at this point, as I practically tripped on my long skirt while I made my way down the stairs, I held onto the railing.

"I don't know if she's here!" The voice was saying to someone. I soon heard the response "Well, come on, if their not there, you mightest well not wait-." I opened the door, and leaned against it slightly "I'm here" I said, coming face-to-face with my "**client**", my freakin' tutor buddy.

Soda was standing on my porch, wearing his brown leather jacket, and a large grin plastered on his bright face. I could almost see how he could be related to Ponyboy.

He turned quickly and waved off at a pick-up truck that was parked in the driveway "Forget it, Dar! She's here," He said, from the distance.

What must have been his older brother, nodded "Call me to come pick you up" He replied, pulling out.

Soda glanced over his shoulder to me "I see you're still…..you" He observed, walking pass me and into the house. "Well, come in" I invited through my clenched and unclenched teeth, closing the door and not liking him barging in here one bit.

I stopped as I realized what he had told me "Wait, what do you mean, I'm still **_me?_**" I asked, folding my arms before me.

He looked around the place, taking in his surroundings and then with a curt nod, he let his gaze fall back onto little old me.

"Nothing. Just thought, you know, since you were out of school you wouldn't be dressing like….**_that_**" He gestured, warily to me and began taking his jacket off.

"What's so wrong with what I'm wearing?" I defended myself, looking down at my attire. I found it perfectly find, I wore a purple turtle neck sweater with the same colored skirt, my hair pulled back out of my face and my glasses being the only shield of my sudden shyness towards the Greaser.

He shrugged "Never mind" 

"I will. So, where's you stuff?" I noticed he was carrying no books, no schoolwork, no nothing. The only thing he held was his jacket in his right hand, letting it lightly drag on the floor.

I came to him and took it, putting it up on the coat rack and then turning back with a still questioning expression that wanted an answer.

"…..I forgot" He finally blurted out, giving me a slight smile, like that would make everything better.

I clenched my teeth once more but managed to give him a forceful smile. It wasn't my fault he was a slow moron. "You brought……nothing?" I wanted him to reassure me, he couldn't of been such a dush-bag and come over with nothing at all.

"Yup. Slipped my mind" He acted as if he didn't care the slightest, that tutoring was the last thing on his mind and he came here with other intentions….? 

"So, where's your room?" He suddenly asked, putting both his hands in his back pockets.

My eyes widened momentarily "What? Huh? My room, why do you want to know? That's the last place we're going!" Ok, I freaked, I panicked, whatever. I know he probably meant something else by the question but I couldn't risk that. God, I'm such a dork.

He was staring at me now, and then shaking his head, he started again "Don't flatter yourself. I meant, aren't we going to study in your room? Maybe we could use your books instead," He explained, I didn't know if he was lying, but if he was, he was doing a damn good job at it. 

I gave him a suspicious once-over and stepping forward pass him, I said "Yeah. Good idea" 

Soda's POV 

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When I walked into Jara's room, I wanted to fall onto the floor laughing. It was like walking into a pink wonderland gone to hell. Even though, I urged to say something about it, I held my tongue and just smiled politely. 

Jara paced about, knocking some clothes she had on her bed and telling me that I could sit down. Instead, I stood and walked about, trying to get a closer look at everything. I honestly didn't know why I was so interested in what this geek had in her room, but this might be the first and last time I'm ever going to be here. I wanted to make the most of it, plus, I had to get to work. I had only a month, and no more unless theirs a freak hurricane or worst and causes the Prom to be cancelled….hmm…..It could probably be easier to get a hurricane during a June then there is to get Jara into  a decent dress!

She was babbling about something now, I wasn't paying attention to tell you the truth, but I gave her a couple of "Uh-Huh's" so she wouldn't think she was doing nothing for me, which she wasn't.

I stood by her nightstand, and raised the picture frame that was on it. 

The photo was just some little girl with her arms around a bigger rougher looking man. Any idiot could see that the small kid was Jara and the guy had to be her father.

I glanced at "**_The Bet_**" and held up the frame, "Cute" I commented, placing it back.

She rolled her eyes and turned, leaning forward in the bed and grabbing her backpack that was at the foot.

"I thought we could begin with some Math," She said, opening an Algebra book. The last time I was in that class was…..Never!

I nodded "Read some problems, I'm listening"

She sighed and agreed "Ok,…..Um, if a train to Chicago leaves at 4:00pm going at-…" 

"You have a really nice room, the pink and blue bunnies on the wall clash real good" I was being sarcastic, jeez, I think I would give sleeping up if I had to stay in a room like this.

I saw she was glaring from the corner of my eye, then she looked away "Originally, it was my little sister's room, I just moved in here because it was bigger…." Her voice oddly soft for someone who just got 'told off'.

"You have a sister?" I asked, facing her, both my eyebrow raised. There was another sibling to the Pagan's, another little Jara. Yikes!  
  


She shook her head, "…..Well, yeah, I **had** a sister, but…..She-she died a couple of years ago, car accident…..Um, Why don't we start with History instead….." She closed the textbook and rummaged in her bag.

I stared at her, the words "oh" forming on my lips. I almost felt guilty acting so fuckin' stupid right about now, "…I'm sorry, I didn't know" I whispered, but I think she was able to hear my attempted apology.

She was gazing at me, no expression on her face, it was blank "Don't be, it's not your fault…..and-and it was a long time ago anyway…." I noticed she spoke with a slight stutter, as if she was unsure of her words and suddenly worried what the person she was talking to thought of her.

I finally sat down next to her, this time **I **was uncertain of **my** words, and I didn't know what to say next. 

Jara's POV 

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Several Hours Later… 

"Soda, for the last time, France is **not **the capital of Oklahoma," I said, in between my laughter. 

"Well, who said it's not!"? The Greaser argued, grinning at me from where he laid on my bed. His hands behind his head. 

I sat on the other end; we had been like this for a couple of hours. It was getting late, and I'm surprised that the study session lasted so long, if you **_want_** to call it a study session. The most intelligent conversation we had so far was 'which brand of soda was better, Coca-Cola or Pepsi? I liked the first one; Sodapop argued and said they were both the same drink but different company. Now, we're here. 

I was actually having a pretty okay time, maybe I was a bit harsh in the beginning on my thoughts about the hood, I mean, Soda.

"Who said?……Well, Mr. History Book says so" I replied, chuckling and finding myself at the end of my rope on 'smart' comments. 

"Mr. History Books has a lot to say…..I should Mr. H-B!" He sat up, like I was, and outstretched his arm. Looking up at nothingness, he vowed "To this day forward, I will be the next Mr.-.." I threw the stuffed pig; I liked to call him Gordo, at the Greaser.

"Hey!" He threw the pig back, and this time, hit me with my pillow along with it.

I yelped, very girly-girl surprised yelp. Urgh. 

The next thing I knew, we were hitting each other playfully. Me with Mr. Gordo, and Soda with my fluffy pillow that was going to be flat in a few seconds.

When we stopped, I was laughing and pulling back my hair that had become loose.

He sat back on my bed, his face red but energy still invented in him.

He was staring at me strangely now and as I took my hair clip out, I said "What?" scrunching up my face, slightly.

"Uh, nothing…" He quickly snapped, shaking his head like he had just gotten out of a trance. 

"…Do you need your glasses?" He suddenly asked me, raising his self on his knees by my standing form beside the bed.

"I-I only need them for reading, but-.." I felt his strong hands on my face at this point, and I stiffened "But, why bother losing them, I just wear them-.."  I managed to continue, not very well though. "……You should  take them off….Since you have….very….pretty eyes?" He slipped my dark glasses off, and I could only stand there in shock as I gazed back at his green-gray eyes that were directed to me, a small smile on his face. 

A wave of surreal ness washed over me all of a sudden, and I realized what I was doing, what **_we_** were doing. My eyes widened, much like earlier, and I pushed him away.

He fell backwards and off the side of the bed, making a huge "**_Thump!"_** sound when he landed.

I turned away, embarrassed, and not wanting him to look at me with those….those freakin' hypno eyes any longer!

"What the hell was that for!?" He raised his voice, as he scrambled to his feet. From my mirror, I could see he was pissed, anger and confusion written all over his face.

"What for? What for!" I shouted, turning myself toward him once more.

His arms fell to his sides, in a frustrated manner "Yeah…..What?"

I rolled my eyes, dramatic speeches weren't big on him was my guess. "I have the most Girl-Magnet Greaser in my room right now, feeling my face, and you find nothing wrong with that?……I do…."

He gave me a "What's you freakin' problem, you alien!" expression and said "I'm just giving you a compliment…..God, you didn't have to blow up like that,"

"I don't need your compliments! You think, you going to make my day by saying I have pretty eyes! I don't buy and I don't tolerate it!……."

He glared, seething madness seeping out. He started for the door "I'm going to leave…..Since it's obviously that time of the month where you have to be a bitch, oh wait, that's always!" He slammed the door shut and I heard his heavy footsteps down the steps, they disappeared just as the front door opened and closed.

I rubbed my temples with my hands; I could feel a migraine coming on. 

That wasn't supposed to turn out that way. I guess you could use the euphuism that this got way out of hand! 

I opened my door, the eeriness and silence of the house appearing like it had never been there before. I switched on the lights as I walked through the hallway and made my way down the stairs. 

I stopped mid-way, my hand gripping onto the railing. This wasn't going to be the last of Sodapop Curtis…….

He had left his jacket on my coat rack…….

He would come around to get it……

Unless I got to him first….


	4. Stalling Time

6:35pm on a Sunday evening, the sun was just disappearing from behind the trees, the clouds. It was a nice view as I watched the sun set from the living room couch, the front screen door wide open and letting the warm spring air breeze in. 

I lay sprawled on my stomach, how restless could I be or look? For the first time in history, I was truly and unfortunately bored out of my mind. Ponyboy had his head in a lame book for school (Come on, it's the weekend, why does school have to follow you everywhere!), Darry was-as always-working over time today, Two-Bit and Dally were making trouble at the rodeo, and I think Johnny tagged along with them.

Steve? Well, he was catching his Z's on the living room floor, right next to me on the sofa and as I watched him snooze, I thought of the one thing that I couldn't get out of my head for the past 24 hours.

The one thing I was disgusted and not on the best of terms with, the one thing that annoyed me with a passion.

The **_Thing_** I'm describing is none other than Jara Pagan. I didn't understand how I could have a girl like her on my mind; the last time I thought this much on a chick was when I first met Sandy….

But Jara didn't even slightly compare to Sandy. She never would and probably couldn't either.

Sandy had natural blond hair; her golden locks stood out especially on summer days.

Jara had the darkest hair color I've never seen before; it probably blended in with the night if I ever caught her one of these days somewhere other than the school hallways.

Sandy's chine-blue eyes were one of her best features, she could be furious with you yet those eyes always stayed a deep blue.

Jara had weird ones to tell you the truth. One moment, that day when I helped her from the pesky Randy (Which I'm still waiting for a thank you), her eyes were a shady brown but yesterday, when I touched her soft cheeks, they were a deep green. I presume they were a hazel, could practically turn any color if she wanted. All right, I'll give her credit for her eyes, I couldn't deny that.

What else? Hmm…. Oh! That's right, back to the backstabbing bitch, every time Sandy laughed it surprised me. For a Greaser girl, her laughter was extremely soft, like an angel fallen from heaven. I did anything to make her laugh, just to hear it once made my day.

Although, Jara's wasn't bad either. Being the narrow-minded Greaser I am, I had the notion that all geeks laughed with a snort or through their noses. 

Jara was different though; it was not soft, yet not loud. Just…. soothing? A nice, rich chuckle.

Sandy's skin was a rosy-light tone, every time she walked into a room, she glowed. Hey, don't they say pregnant women glow?

Jara's skin was so pale, I'd could confuse her as a Vampire. Has she ever even seen sunlight?…Thing is, it's not terrible. It makes her stand out, she's defiantly not like any other girl I've met and she of course not like any other nerd out there.

Oh god, what have I've been doing? I'm actually giving Jara Pagan compliments! Jeez, what the hell is wrong with me? It had to be the warm weather, yeah; the air was getting a little musty up here. 

I grumbled, stretching my leg out and accidentally kicking sleeping beauty. He quickly, almost alertly woke and sat up, his head darting around the place. I always knew that Steve slept on edge, I guess I would too if I lived with his father.

"What the hell happened!? Is there a fire?" He asked, his voice groggy and raspy.

"Nope" I grinned at him from where I still laid.

"A rumble?" He passed a hand through his un-ruly curls.

"Not even close" I replied, shaking my head and touching the hard wood floor.

"Then why did you wake me up, Soda!" He scolded more than he asked.  

I managed to shrug, "Accidental, go back to sleep…" I sighed, my blink lasting for what seemed like an eternity of bliss. 

Steve nodded "Ok!" and with those lovely, and wise words, he was out like a light bulb once more.

"What's the matter, Sodapop?" I heard Ponyboy's voice fill the room as he entered. I sat up, a smile spread on my face as I stared at my little brother "Long time, no see" I commented, gesturing the book he held in his hand "Thought I lost you forever there" 

"Sorry, Have to catch up on my school reading, I have an exam on Monday…not a lot to do lately, huh?" He stepped over Steve's snoring form, and sat down next to me, his feet plopping up on the coffee table. "You can say that again…." I muttered, sinking back into the seat and crossing my arms. "Things have been slow, and yet I have so much to do!" I groaned, pretty much referring to my bet with Bob and the miracle job it would take to make Jara into a knock out, somewhere deep in me I knew she had the potential, I just wasn't showing it right now, too much doubt filled me first.

Ponyboy looked at me oddly "Like what?" He asked, his head turned.

"Uh, I meant the DX and all" I lied, I didn't want Pony to know anything about the bet, I didn't like lying to my youngest brother since I told him everything most of the time, but this was different. 

"Oh" he nodded, and rested his head back. That was the end of the subject; Ponyboy could let things go easily. 

I gave him another grin, and shaking my head I turned back to stare at the turned-off television set.

"You want to watch some TV?" I asked, without looking at my brother's reaction, I leaned forward to reach for the remote control, but stopped when I heard Pony's voice,

"Jara?"

Jara's POV 

I stood behind the screen door, my hand clasped tightly onto Soda's brown leather jacket. I could see that I had interrupted a brotherly moment, or something, so I kept quiet for time being.

Until Ponyboy's gaze landed on me, He quickly situated himself higher and with surprise written all over his handsome face, he said "Jara?"

I wanted to melt, and I quickly scolded myself for being so damn pathetic. He had barely even said two words yet and I already wanted to jump his bones. 

I shook my head from the temporary dazed that overcame me, blinking I replied "Uh, hi" 

Soda jerked his head in an instant, getting to his feet even faster "What are **_you_** doing here?" He asked, a bit hostile I noticed.

He opened the screen door, and I backed away a bit since he was invading my "Personal space", He had broken my freakin' "Bubble"!

"I-I-You left this at my place" I stammered, intimated by his sudden aggressiveness. I shoved his jacket to him, tying to get some space between the Greaser and I.

His gazed dropped onto it as I handed it to him, his lips forming an "oh".

"You were at Jara's house?" Ponyboy questioned as he stepped out onto the porch, he kept staring back and forth from us.  I nodded, looking at him strangely. Hadn't he known? 

Soda glanced at his brother and then turning to me once more, he gave me a "Shut Your Trap" expression.

Oh, he was embarrassed to be seen with me, was it? I pursed my lips together, and decided to keep my mouth close even though I wanted to let one on him right about now. Explode and give Pony the details about how his older bro had touched my face, told me I had pretty eyes- and maybe he would get jealous by that, claim me as his. Whispering into my ear that I had won his heart and from the beginning I had always been the girl of his dreams, forever his. 

"Jara was just about to leave, weren't you?" Soda's urgent voice broke into my impulsive daydreaming, and I glared at him for that. "Aren't you going to at least say thank you? You know, it's rude not to. It's not like you were raised by a pack of wolves…." I said, trying to clearly stall so I would have more time to get closer to the youngest Curtis' brother. He laughed, and Sodapop frowned. Breathing hard, he unexpectedly took me by the arm and pulling my frigid body to the side, he said in a hush but firm tone "How the hell did you get my address?"

"I asked, now let me go" I shook him off to only get held tighter then before, his grasp enticing around my upper arm. My eyes were wide and my mouth was left slightly ajar. 

"I want you to leave. Now" He ordered, his face seldom and serious, leaving a sharp jaw line visible. 

"Is that a threat?" I retorted, countering him. I had no idea why I was being so menacing today. I guess I woke up like this, got up from bed thinking I wasn't going to take crap from anyone this very day. I highly doubt it.

"Take it as you want" He practically growled, his tone of voice low and leaving me wondering if this was the same Sodapop Curtis every girl in my Gym class are always talking about.

He was extremely close at this point, his breathing shallow as if he were smelling my perfume. He took a long pause, until I felt him slowly release my arm, I saw Pony by his side now "Soda, what's wrong with you? Jara was just returning your jacket and you know how much you love that one" He tried calming Soda down who was suddenly looking away from me, not holding my eye contact at all.

Pony gave me an apologetic look, and I waved it off, "To make your brother happy, I'll leave. Sorry for being such a burden, I didn't realize" I said, some part of that response was dripping with sarcasm. 

"No!" and un-familiar voice cut in like a needle dropping on pins. Everyone standing on the rusty porch turned simultaneously to stare at Steve Randle, the Greaser who had stepped on the end of my dress the first day of school last year, making it rip- I can't even bare to recall the nightmare again. Half the student body saw me in my underpants!

Randle came out and staring at Soda intensely, he said to me "No, don't leave".

I scrunched up my nose a bit, getting suspicious of what these Greasers were up to or were they just legally insane?

TO BE CONTINUED… 


	5. Gidget

**_ Previously on "Losing Grip"……_**

**__**

**__**

**_"No!" an un-familiar voice cut in like a needle dropping on pins. Everyone standing on the rusty porch turned simultaneously to stare at Steve Randle, the Greaser who had stepped on the end of my dress the first day of school last year, making it rip- I can't even bare to recall the nightmare again. Half the student body saw me in my underpants!_**

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**_Randle came out and staring at Soda intensely, he said to me "No, don't leave"._**

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**_I scrunched up my nose a bit, getting suspicious of what these Greasers were up to or were they just legally insane?_**

Soda's POV 

I stared strangely back at Steve, he had his hand on my arm and was mouthing something I couldn't make out. I squinted my eyes slightly, cocking my head to the side when it suddenly hit me what he was trying to tell me.

My eyes widened from the realization "OH! Yeah, don't leave!" I blurted out, turning my head back to Jara. I glanced at Steve who was smirking and nodding. For a sometimes-crazy bum, he could really watch out for someone. 

Jara was shaking her head "I should go…." She objected, beginning to walk off but I quickly emerged and caught her once more by the arm, but gentler this time. I didn't know what came over me earlier; I guess I was just too surprised to have her here.

She glared at me again, and pulled her arm back "Don't touch me," She warned, looking down at the ground.

I frowned deeply; "Sorry…but don't go" I tried talking her into staying. I had no idea what I would do if she agreed but it's worth a shot!  
  


"I already said no, why do you want me to stay so badly all of a sudden? A minute ago you wouldn't mind throwing me into the Rio Grande, what's changed?" She asked crossing her arms and looking up at me, her eyes were a hazy green now. I couldn't help but gaze genuinely into those big orbs of hers, which stared back at me from her thick dark glasses.

"….Because"

"Well, that explains everything…." She muttered, pushing her lens up higher on her nose. "Look, I have to get back home, my mom's waiting…."

"Fine! I'll talk to you in school tomorrow" I tried compromising and getting the "_Talk to you in school_" bit unnoticeably in. Am I the master of sneakiness or what?

"**You **are going to talk to **me **at school tomorrow, why? What are you going to do?" 

Guess not

I let the air out of my lungs dramatically. My back slumping and meeting her height "Look, will ya' keep quiet and meet me…I swear, what I have to say is….**_ partly_** out of your benefit" 

I glanced over at Ponyboy; he was standing off to the side and already bickering with Steve. I smirked at Jara as I faced her once more; her appealing eyes were already fixated on my little brother. I knew with this creepy love she had for Pony, I could definably get where I wanted her to be.

The next morning, I stood by the lockers waiting expectedly for someone to appear around the corner. Hopefully, alone. 

Two girls passed by and gave me shy glimpses of smiles, I leaned back on the cold metal of an anonymous locker and nodded toward them "How's it going, ladies?"  I greeted, with a grin and a cock of my eyebrow that I managed to get to a tee with the secret help of Two-Bit, hey, it can get boring on summer days.

They giggled to each other and scampered off. Leaving me with the one single thought that described them 'Sheep'. I didn't go for girls like that. The one's that travel in packs and have the courage to be spontaneous or talk to the school stud with the help of their friend(s). It made my stomach turn. Girls's who aren't afraid to approach you by themselves really get my attention.

Even though I am single now, I knew that I would never really meet another broad that would make me feel like I did with Sandy. That chick had the power to make you seem like you're on top of the world, happiest as it can get. 

Although, she could be secretive and I often wondered if it was because I didn't give her enough attention. Maybe if I had listened her out, she would of told me the problems she had been going trough.

But damnitt Soda! I shouldn't blame myself since it was **_her_** fault to go ahead and get pregnant with some low-life she barely knew! 

I guess, what I'm trying to understand is that no matter how hard you make an effort to protect yourself from something, either way your going to run into a brick wall. Something sooner or later will cause a bump in your relationship. For Sandy and me that **_bump_** ended up being bigger than I thought.

I slipped to the side and bent down to drink from the water fountain, leaving part of a locker to put me out of sight.

When I straightened, I finally saw the flash of her red hair and her cheery bright face walking down the hall. Surprisingly, she was by her lonesome.

"Hey, Cherry!" By-passers acknowledged her as she sauntered by.

I wiped some water off my mouth with my sleeve and when she was close, I took her by the arm and brought the cheerleader to the concealed turn that was connected with the locker and the curve to the next extension of the hallway. 

I put my arm up and slanted on it so that it would appear that I was only flirting with some broad and not about to ask Cherry Valence for a favor.

"Sodapop!" She yelped, but I hushed her "Ssh, you knew I was meeting you, remember?" I reminded. Steve and I had seeked her out the night before and asked if she would meet me but what I forgot to tell her was what time I would, it wasn't a surprise she was taken off guard.

"Yeah, I remember…. But are you sure we should be talking out in the open like this? Bob might see us…." She whispered, getting tense. I did too. I forgot that she was dating the guy who was pretty much running this bet.

"Don't worry, it'll be quick. Look, I need you to help me out and I promise this is not a joke" I said, reasoning first before I dump the load of string pulling on her.

"You need my help on Jara Pagan, right?" She asked, rolling her eyes half-heatedly.

"Yeah, how ya' know?"

"I heard Bob and some of his friends talking about it…Boy, do they have something planned out for you if you lose…" She replied, shaking her head disapprovingly.

"Then if you agree to meet me at my house, then that won't happen" I responded slyly but inside I was seeping with worry.

"I-I don't know. I mean, how am I suppose explain to everyone if they see me over in your territory?  No offense but I think my car will stand out from the rest" I knew what she was saying was true and I didn't take that against her.

"Then I'll pick you up over at the Nightly Double, just wait and I'll be there. No one will ever know. I'll even drop you off near your house so, your parents won't see me…Deal?" She was my only hope, if Cherry was in than I would have Tracey Gardner in no time at all. I can already imagine us slow dancing at the Prom….

Cherry looked about and then turned back to face me directly again, "…Deal. Jeez, Soda, if you weren't Ponyboy's brother I don't know if I would be agreeing to this…" 

I wanted to hug her but of course we were in public and I could already hear Two-Bit rounding the corner with his loud bellowing of "Greasers coming through here!"

I backed off, giving her space "Don't forget your…. make-up and in lack of better words, Chick stuff. You're going be needing it once you set your eyes on Jara" I warned her, grinning for no reason what so ever.

Cherry frowned "I already saw her and believe me, I'm taking your warning to consideration. Just check "Hair and Make-up" off your list…" She smiled suddenly and began to walk off.

"Thanks again…." I called after her.

She gave me a stern look as a few Socs eyed us just then.

"Oops….I meant, Go to hell you Soc whore!"

"Whatever, filthy Greaser!!" She yelled back, and then when no one was looking she mouthed "Thank you"

I laughed and ran to my next class since the bell had just rung. The things you had to do to talk to one measly Soc around here! 

"So, Cherry's in?" Steve asked me as he took a sip from the beer he had sneaked onto school property. We sat up on the hood of his car that was in the student parking lot. The rest of the gang still hadn't arrived yet so, it was just the two of us.

"Yep. I'm picking her up tonight," I said, smirking

"You surprise me, buddy. I didn't think you could do it" He replied, shaking his head with a faint grin. 

"I haven't done anything yet. I mean, Jara doesn't even know what's in store for her tonight-.." I was cut off with Steve spitting out the swig of his beer onto the gravel and half spraying me with it while he was at it.

"Aw, yuck, man! You got spew on my shirt tail….What are the Teach's going to think now!" I scolded, annoyingly and wiped at my flannel shirt.

"What are you doing here?"

"Apparently, taking a shower in your beer…" I retorted, knitting my brows together

"No, go! Go get that geek to come to your house tonight. Go!" He hurried, making me absently fall off of the car and quickly run inside the school. I crack under pressure like that, especially when Steve has his '**_serious_**' face on.

"Slow down, Mr. Curtis. Where's the fire?" The principle, Mr. Castro said as I skied passed him, practically knocking the little man down. 

"Uh, sorry" I apologized and slowed down my pace but when he turned I began running again. I knocked down the tray of a freshman as I entered the crowded cafeteria. 

I scanned the place, standing at the center of the large room. A smile spread on my face when my eyes spotted the one and only. She was reading a book, and taking a drink from her chocolate milk. 

I silently strided over and dropped myself down in the seat opposite of hers, she didn't look up at me but what better way to get her attention than by taking her book and snatching that PB & J sandwich she had left untouched on her tray?

"….Give me that" She quickly hissed as she looked up at me, then sighing and sitting back in her seat. "Oh, it's only you"

"Yes, **_me. _**Who else would it be?….Uh, don't answer that. I told you I had to talk to you and I keep my promises," I said, turning the book she was reading over to it's front and taking a bite of the sandwich at the same time. 

"Oh yes, I was waiting for you all day! Thank you, Lord Curtis. You just made my entire day, no no, my whole life is somehow complete now. I am so grateful to be in your glorious presence!" She smiled overly dramatic and clasped her hands together.

My eyebrow arched and I stared at her, taking a pause I decided to be polite "…Can I have your milk to wash down the peanut butter?" 

She exhaled loudly and slammed her hands on the table, "Fine, whatever, take it" Jara shoved the small milk carton to me and I smiled as I grabbed it.

"What was it that you wanted to talk about?" She asked, getting to the core and drumming her fingertips on the tabletop.

"You know how you have this crush on my brother? I mean it can be almost called stalking" I reminded her, as I put her novel, **_Gidget_**, to the side.

"Could you say that any louder, I don't think Tucson heard you!…..and one more thing, it's **not** stalking!" 

I rolled my eyes and lowered my voice, leaning over on the edge of the table I said, "I got this idea that could bring you two together. How does that sound?" 

She watched me blankly, then dropped her gaze on the empty red tray before her "What do you have in mind?" She asked, softly and I knew she was interested. 

I smirked satisfyingly and continued "All you have to do is show up at my house tonight. Say around 7:30pm?" 

She contemplated quietly and then raised her eyes to look at me, "Answer me this first, why do you suddenly care if me and your brother get together? Why are you even bothering? I mean, I'm might not have a great social life but I know that Ponyboy wouldn't ever look at me other than **_just _**a geek, and he wouldn't think of me in any other way than the loser who doesn't fit in to be neither Greaser nor Soc…"

For the first time, I realized what I was doing and how much damage I could cause. The reason why I was bringing up the subject of Ponyboy to her was because that would be the only way she would agree to what I had planned. 

But what she was saying….

I pushed the feeling of guilt that was forming inside my stomach and shook my head "…Everyone deserves chances, just think of this as **_"your chance_**". No more questions, ok, Jara?" I talked to her dimly and my expression changed from cocky to seldom.

She nodded "…I'll be there but if you're playing with me, I swear to god…."

"I'm not" I interrupted as I rose from my seat and turned away harshly.

Jara's POV 

I take in as much air I can get from standing around in a place like the school corridors of Tulsa High. This was my free period and I usually went to the library to do my homework around this time but I had just spotted a rare opportunity that hadn't come in months. Ponyboy was sitting by the window reading a book and by himself if I made add.

'Come on, Jara. Just walk over, and give a casual hi. It's not rocket science' I tell myself and nod in response. I plaster the best winning smile I can ever concoct and stroll over. I accidentally trip on the last step before making it to him but he didn't seem to notice anyhow.

"….H-Hi, Pony" I manage to say with a slight stutter and I clench my teeth because of that. 

His gaze falls upon me, "Hi" He replies, taking his foot off the larger sill he sits on. "This you free period too?" He asked and I'm relieved he did, I dreaded those awkward silences.

I nodded "Yeah. So, what you' reading?" I said, as I sat down next to him.

He glanced at his book "More like forcing myself too, It's the novel for our English class" He handed it to me, and I looked down at it.

"Oh, yeah. 'Caterbies Grate', it's a bore, huh?" 

"You can say that again. Whoever wrote this is deeply disturbed, I mean, who would write a book about a witch-doctor that befriends a caterpillar!" Pony shook his head and gestured in the air, he was actually discussing a book with me.

"Ah, but that was no ordinary caterpillar. It's a magic one, remember?" I responded, giving him the novel back.

He laughed "My take on why their making us read this is because they don't have anything better to teach us, they rather make us believe that we can find the meaning of life by talking to an insect" It seemed like he was closer to me than a minute ago, or was I just imagining it?

I swallowed, while I stared at the side of his face as he looked down at the small notebook he had in his lap the whole time. 

"Well, you can find meanings anywhere. You can find it in a movie…. reading something out of a newspaper column…. Watching a sunset."  He turned his head toward me then and a small smile appeared on his face, the sunlight bouncing off his reddish-brown hair. 

"…. I believe that, I truly do." He replied, leaning on my shoulder slightly and giving me the first grin I ever saw on him.

"You know, Jara, you surprise me sometimes." He said

"And why is that?" I countered, amused and more relaxed than I had been moments before. Although my heart was still pounding like it would rip through my chest any moment. Woah, gruesome thought actually. 

He shrugged "I don't know. It's just, from what I heard about you, you're actually cooler than what everyone says. It kind of makes me feel guilty for ever listening to them…"

I frowned but tried to hide it "Oh" I blurted out meekly.

"But I didn't mean that in a bad way. I have this thing where my mouth his connected to my foot and I just blab anything that comes across my head, I'm sorry. I should of thought better of you, especially when you and my brother are becoming friends lately…" He was trying to apologize and faltering on a few of his words, it was adorable. He placed a hand on my shoulder and I looked down at it then once more to him.

Wait…Me and Sodapop Curtis…friends?

Those three things didn't go together. Didn't mix at all. Although what Soda had said to me at lunch, about how everyone deserves chances. Made me think, maybe. Just maybe. Sodapop wasn't so bad after all. Sometimes I shouldn't be so conspicuous with my suspicions. 

Oh god, something else hit me as well…

I actually had a conversation with Ponyboy Curtis!!!!!

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Do you love me, like I love you?  
Or am I standing still, beneath the darkened sky?  
Or am I standing still, with the scenery flying by?  
Or am I standing still, out of the corner of my eye?  
Was that you passing me by?  
Are you passing me by? (Passing me by)  
Do you want me? (Passing me by)  
Do you need me, like I need you too?  
And do you want me, like I want you?  
Are you passing me by?

                    **_-Jewel "Standing Still"_**

**A/N: I know some of you great readers might not like Jara since she pretty much acts like a bitch towards our sweet and famous Soda but even though, I admit too, I don't really like it when I put that she reacts harshly to Soda I still have to leave the realism in there. She's not so popular, she doesn't even have real friends and up to a week ago in the story, Sodapop never even talked to her unless he was going to play a prank. So, I guess, wouldn't you act defenses when someone like Soda suddenly wants to talk to you and be apart of your life? **

**Anyway, the next chapter will really launch the story finally. **

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	6. Even Greasers Can Have Skin Traumas!

**Losing Grip: Chapter 6**

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. **

**7:00pm **

Twiddling my thumbs while I sat on the couch, and pretended to look busy was much harder than I thought it would be. Tonight was **the** night, or at least it was planned to be. I hadn't gone to pick up Cherry yet, since the house was still packed with my two brothers and the rest of the Greasers. I didn't want any of them seeing a Soc like Cherry Valance here, and begin asking questions. But knowing Dally and Two-Bit, they'd just plot themselves down in a seat and start making crude comments towards her. Of course, she'd get mad or upset, and then leave which wasn't going to happen. She was beginning to be my only hope in this whole makeover crap that was going to, please God, transform Jara from the little nerdy girl she is and into…I don't know, something better than what she already looks like now.

Luckily, Steve, who is sitting next to me while talking on the phone with his girlfriend, Evie, had pointed out to the guys earlier that their was a carnival coming into town. It's last day here in Tulsa, was today. I had rushed Ponyboy to do his homework when he got home just for this reason, and Darry, after giving him two backrubs, finally agreed to go. Knowing the other guys, wherever the majority of the gang was, they were. It took a lot to get Darry out of the house after work; this was also a good time for them to see his lighter side, which isn't the cold, hard guy Pony is always saying he is.

"Evie, for the last time, I cannot go to your grandma's funeral tonight…. Yes, I know, she died a lonely old lady…. come on! Do you really think me being there is going to make her rest in peace? She's dead for Pete's sake!…..Aw, Baby, don't cry, I didn't mean that…..Oh, you're not crying, you're sneezing. I don't know, I think you care more about your grandma's death than you think…..Fine! You're a tough Greaser girl and you care about nothing but your man. Got it. Bye!"

I stared at my best friend as he hung up the phone, back on the receiver. "I'm guessin' Evie there wasn't to fond of you missing her grandma's funeral." I commented, giving him a grin while he laid his head back. Geez, if talking to Evie gets him exhausted, imagine being with her in person!

"Yeah, and I don't even know the lady!" He replied, his hand flying up into the air.

"You're whipped, man" Two-Bit's voice suddenly added his infamous two-cents in. He had been lying in front of the television set the entire time; I had forgotten he was there, with the hood being quiet and all, it was almost creepy.

"I'm not whipped. It's just hard to tell Evie no sometimes" Steve said, looking down at the 18-year-old jokester's form on the wooden floor.

"……Stevie's  whipped, Stevie's whipped!"  Two-Bit and I burst out saying at the same time, our teasing voices singsong. 

Steve suddenly leaped forward, taking me right along with him as he attacked the JD watching "The Johnny Cash Show". He had me in a tight headlock and while I tried getting out of it, my non-stop laughter almost suffocated me; words could barely be heard from my mouth. 

Two-Bit knew exactly how to stop my case of the giggles. His jean-clad knee came up to my side, and clashed sharply into my rib cage. I grunted loudly, letting out an exasperated bellow. 

"Come on, you guys, stop it" Our quarrel was separated instantly before those words of warning were even heard. I was lifted up to my feet, maybe even a little off the floor by strong hands.

Darry let go of my red-flannel shirt and I hurriedly passed a hand through my disheveled hair. Thank the lord for grease! 

"Hey, Dar, you have any grease left?" I asked, while my brother lectured Steve and Two-Bit about not starting fights like those in the house. He shouldn't bother though, since they always play around like that.

"In my room, I brought some today" He casually answered, glancing at me and grinning when he saw my hair.

"It's not that bad…." I grumbled, quickly disappearing into his room.

Just as I stepped into Darrel's bedroom, I took hold of the time on his nightstand clock. My eyes widened. It's was already seven o' five! And Jara Pagan was going to be here in only twenty-five minutes.

Things had to be sped up and fast, were my main priorities that very moment. Practically leaping out of the room, I ran about the place. "OK, guys! You better get going before the carnival is over!" I said, pushing Darry toward the door and taking Two-Bit by the arm, at the same time.

"Hey, I forgot my jacket" The Mickey-mouse loving Greaser was saying. 

"We can't leave yet, Pony is still getting ready." My brother added, stopping to walk further into the house.

I sighed frustrated, and looked at Steve to find he too, had the same expression as me. "How long does it take to get ready for a damn carnival!" I accidentally let the irritation which crept up on my like a cat in the night, out and I instantly regretted it.

"Watch your mouth, kiddo" Darrel only warned, in a low voice. He eyed me carefully and nodded his head.

"Sorry" I apologized, "Where is Pony anyway?" 

"Wasn't Johnny and Dallas here too?" Steve added, scratching his head and looking about. 

I realized the bathroom door had been mysteriously closed the whole time of being here and only now, were the remaining Greasers noticing it. I was the first to react, and as I approached the door. I could hear faint voices inside.

"Pony, ya' in there?" I asked, knocking softly on the door. There was a sudden clamor of something, followed by "Shit! Johnny watch where you put that thing!". It was without a doubt Dally's voice.

"Sorry, Dal" I heard Johnny respond. Pony's voice soon piped in with a, "Oh gosh, I think it's bigger than before….Look at it! It practically has a pulse!" 

I scrunched up my nose slightly, and leaned my ear against the door to hear more of the conversation. What were those three up to in there?  
   
  


"You call that puny-little thing big?…." Dally said, a haughty chuckle followed and believe me, it was one of those "I'm laughing **at** you, not **with** you" kinds of laughs

"Are you blind? It's huge!!" Pony replied, his tone vivid and frantic. "Pon, everyone has one…I mean, look at mine…." Johnny's reassuring voice added.

My eyes must have looked like saucers at this point, and I jumped back from the door. "What is it?" Darry asked, suspicious.

"…..**I THINK THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING WRONG IN THERE**!" I burst out loud. Immediately, Darry launched forward. 

"What are you talking abo-.." He barely finished his sentence, before opening the door and revealing the…..**_horrible_** visual that laid before us.

"**OH MY LORD!"** Two-Bit yelled, the loudest and longest express of amusement ever known to mankind erupting from his body. The force sent him falling down onto the floor again.

Steve stood there looking like a statue in one of those musty museums. His mouth hanged open, so wide that a bird could probably fly in there and nest its eggs, without him ever realizing it.

Me on the other hand, I could only stare, my initial reaction hadn't kicked in yet.

Dally sat on the toilet-seat cover, his chest was exposed but there was a reason. Johnny stood behind him, one of Darry's blue razors in his small hand. Their was shaving cream everywhere on Dallas' back and it didn't take me long to realize what it was for.

I had gotten the idea Ponyboy would have his pant's off and be measuring his…….

Ok! Bad thought…..*shudders*

My youngest brother was only leaning over the sink, his face close to the mirror, so he could pop a pimple. I didn't know why he was making such a big fuss over it.

Until he turned around of course, and it was like I was blinded by the monstrosity that was my kid brother's face. "Woah! What the hell is that!?"" Steve voiced out my thought, and pointed.

Pony's face reddened as if on cue or like a light switch turned on, I started thinking the redness especially around his ears could magically disappear if I'd turn the switch off….maybe even that……FREAKIN' PIMPLE WHICH IS ALREADY DRIVING ME CRAZY WILL GO JUST AS WELL.

"It isn't that bad!" Pony yelled, breaking my trance from that huge monster on his chin.

"Uh, of course it's not" Darry said, trying to sound like he meant it but the look on his face was as bad as mines. He kept doing the legendary "Darrel Curtis" move, which he took from our father. It's where he would look at anything in the room except what he was trying to avoid, and then put a hand up to the side of his wide neck while he….Lied through his teeth!! **_Not bad? _**Who was he kidding? 

I would follow Ponyboy till' the end of the world, but even I couldn't bring myself to tell him it looked fine when it actually didn't. I'm doing him a favor by telling him the truth….

"Are ya' blind, Darry? Look at it, it's like staring straight at the sun…..sooner or later, ya' gotta' look away!" Steve commented yet again, if Pony was going to receive any cracks like that about his skin care, or in this case, lack of it. What better person than from Steve Randle? Those two never quite got along even though; they've seen each other's faces for so long I can hardly remember. 

"Shut-up, Steve!" Pony retorted, glaring daggers, no, maces with spikes all over them, at my best friend. Before I could even blink, Pony lung forward at him, knocking him down onto the floor. The two started wrestling, and for a moment, I watched how Ponyboy had actually improved. I use to be able to beat him-up(playfully, of course) without even breaking a sweat, but as I look at Steve's reddened face under Pony's punches, I can only break loose one of my smirks.

Letting out a lung-full of air from my chest, I opened my mouth to say something. It was like I had been holding my breath all this time. "Break it up," I said, quickly moving to Pony and taking him by the arms. Two-Bit immediately blocked Steve from getting up and starting another attack. "You little-…" I've never heard Steve curse so much, than the time Evie scratched his car on purpose than right now. 

"Calm down, chill, just chill" Two-Bit was repeating, and holding Steve back by his chest. 

"Alright, I think we better leave. **_Now_**" Darrel's deadly tone of voice filled the room, like an earthquake making us Greasers stop in our tracks. We stared at the oldest Greaser's face, his jaw line clenching and the temple on his forehead beating rapidly. **_There goes my theory about everyone seeing the lighter side of Darry I had mentioned earlier._**

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"Don't let it get to you, Pon…. I know how it feels" I whispered to Ponyboy as the trio left the house, he turned and slowly revealed a smile to me. "Really, Soda?" He asked, his big grey/green eyes he got from our mother standing out. "'Course" I replied, not having the heart to say the only skin crises I've ever had was when I thought I had a huge zit on my face at fifteen, but it ended up being Two-Bit who marked me with a red marker while I was taking a nap. 

It's takes work to get a reputation I have with the ladies!

"That little shit, I'm going to get him, ya'll see" I turned back to Steve while he continued threatening, as I closed the door. 

"Watch it, he's still my own flesh and blood. I think it's required by law not to let my little brother get an ass-kicking from my best friend" I said, trudging over to pick up the magazines the two had scatter onto the floor while they were trying to rip each other's heads off.

The door flung open then, and in came a running Two-Bit Matthews, not another one like him on the face of the planet. He ran pass me, almost sending me sprawling, and jumped in front of the open bathroom doorway. 

Without saying a real word, he pointed and squeezed his sides before letting out a long(**_and don't forget loud_**) laugh once more. I rolled my eyes, but then realized what he was laughing at and quickly ran to his side, looking into the small bathroom that's manage to keep running even though it's being used by 3 brothers and their 5 friends.

"You fucker's tell anyone about this, and you won't be living long enough to lose your virginities!" Dallas growled, buttoning up his blue over-sized shirt. The whole time everyone was out in the living room, dealing with Pony's pimple trauma, Dally and Johnny were in here. I could tell that the blonde hood had just finished wiping off the shaving cream he had on his…..**_ugh_**, gorilla back. 

I grinned, staring at Johnny still holding the blue razor, he noticed me looking and quickly dropped it into the sink. A fierce blush appearing on his tanned face. Wow, true friendship that was. If Steve asked me to help shave his back, I think I would die before answering since even the image of doing something like that, scared and disgusted the be-jesus out of me!  
  


"We won't, we won't" Two-Bit enquired, managing to utter a word from his laughter. After a pause, he stopped chuckling and frowned abruptly. "Hey! I'm not a virgen!" He said, being late(like always) to figuring out the insult in Dally's treat. **_Boy, there was a lot of threatening going on!_**

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"I didn't think they'd ever leave" Steve said, grunting a dissatisfied sigh and dropping into the beat-up armchair like a sack of potatoes. 

"Give me your keys," I openly ordered unexpectedly, but don't forget, I was good-hearted at the same time. There was no time to beat around the bush. Cherry must be already waiting behind the Nightly Double, and Jara would be here any minute. If this whole ordeal with Pony and Dallas' hairy-ass back hadn't happened, I might have saved a good 10 to 15 minutes there. 

"What for?" Steve decided he was going to be a stubborn idiot tonight. Fine, I'll play along….**_Later that is and after he's let me borrow the car he had saved his father's pity money for!_**

"Stevie, just give me the damn keys, you already know why" I answered, stomping my foot impatiently and extending my hand out to him. I towered over his sitting form where I stood before him.

"Yeah, yeah" He muttered, taking the keys from his pocket and dropping them into my palm. I looked down at the key-chain, and read out-loud "Keep on Truckin'"

I gave Steve a "are you for real" face, and found the time to say, "You don't have a truck…"

"Yea, Well….." The Greaser started, his mouth left opened from trying to form a good comeback. I rolled my eyes and turned to leave.

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"…**YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO GET A DATE WITH TRACY SHELDON**!" was Steve's comeback, but Sodapop didn't hear since he had already jumped off the porch. He was determined to win this bet, his friends support or not, Soda would get Tracy even though he was in for a rude awakening……

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**_TO BE CONTINUED_**

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**_A/N: I don't know if anyone has noticed, but I made a mistake's on Bob's last name which in this chapter, I fixed. I hope you guys can review._**

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	7. She's All That

**_The remedy is the experience. It is a dangerous liaison_**
    
    **_I say the comedy is that it's serious. Which is a strange enough new play on words_**
    
    **_I say the tragedy is how you're gonna spend the rest of your nights with the light on_**
    
    **_So shine the light on all of your friends because it all amounts to nothing in the end._**
    
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    **_I wont worry my life away._**
    
                                          -"**Remedy" by Jason Mraz**

"This is wrong, you know"

I had been tapping my hand repeatedly on the steering wheel, zoning out as I looked on to the now-darkening road that laid ahead of me from the big piece of tin I was behind. I realized what I had just heard wasn't my inner conscious, but Cherry Valance's voice.

"Uh,….what?" I snapped out of my thoughts, which were all devoted to Tracy Sheldon, then leading back to Jara Pagan. I kept thinking, '_What am I doing!?_' I could be creating a monster, or worst, ruining the gawky-girl who's never been known as anything **but** that girl. Although, in some weird messed-up way, maybe I was doing her a favor. 

"What you're planning to do with Jara, I think it's kind of wrong. Both on your part, and my boyfriend's" Cherry elaborated, as I shot a withering glance at her. "…Well, if you think it's so wrong, why are you helping me?" I retorted, suddenly wanting to crash the car and scurry away from the Soc. I didn't feel like talking about this with her, since she sort of knew, I felt the same way towards this as she did. It **was** wrong, and I **am** leading an innocent girl on. Yet this is the part where it gets me, totally stumps the hell out of me, why is it that I had no intention on stopping the bet? I wasn't entirely afraid of what those Soc's had in mind for me if I didn't complete the task, but I also wasn't all that obsessed with Tracy to do something so extreme as this. I hardly knew the girl for Christ's sake! 

I didn't understand any of my blabbering, since I know all Curtis' are pretty complicated when it comes to feelings towards a specific subject. We never could get why we did some of the idiotic things we often are apart of! I guess, I had a reason to why I was still in this bet but I didn't exactly know what it was yet. That probably makes no sense, but I had the idea, it would soon.

"I'm helping you because I don't agree with Bob. Everyone thinks he's the big man on school ground, and I'll admit, he is but sometimes that popularity gets to his head and it drives me crazy! I mean, I really care about him; we've been dating since freshman year! But I think, now is the time where he should taste a little of his own medicine. That's why I'm helping you with Jara, so, he can realize that he's not perfect, he's not always the golden boy everyone thinks he is and….and…..Well, I guess that's pretty much it" It sounded to me like she had said all that, in one breath.

Staring at her, I cocked an eyebrow, thinking 'Damn, Soc's really **_do_** have problems…'

"Well, say something. I know it sounds stupid, and you must be thinking I'm a maniac for-…" I stopped Cherry mid-sentence, even though I did actually think she was being a bit loony, I didn't want her to know I did.

"Ah, don't worry about it. I understand, ya' just want to show old Billy Bob he's not invincible" I said, shrugging and passing a hand through my hair, trying to prevent it from sticking up.

"If you put it that way…" Cherry started, the confused look of a cheerleader which was on her face was replaced by a radiant smile…..**of a still confused cheerleader.**

****

**Jara's POV**

I bounded up the creaky steps of the ramshackle house, my heart was beating so loud, I could hear it. Everything was supposed to unravel tonight, and some part of me, was actually pretty frightened. I stopped in front of the door, my hand about to reach out for the screen knob. '**_What are you getting yourself into!?_**'. That question suddenly rang in my ears, and I immediately let my arm fall limply to my side. 

Did I actually think that by showing up here, it would finally bring Pony and I together? 

Did I think Sodapop was going to help in doing so? He wasn't a sly rat, and that he might have the slightest bit of heart, as to making someone else's life other than his good?

Letting a small chuckle escape my mouth, I shook my head. None of those questions were true and I already knew it, but why I am standing here now is beyond me. Sometimes, I don't really understand half the stuff I do. Maybe, things are better off left unexplained since most complicated situations are just that.

The front door suddenly opened, and my breath hitched in my chest as I yearned for those long awaited green/gray eyes and that shy grin of his to appear before me. 

"You're here, finally" A one Steve Randle said to me; as he opened the screen door further to let me through. I could only stand there, staring at him and feeling oddly let down. My hopeful-dazed expression turned into a lop-sided cringe, and I shrugged my shoulders.

"Where's…Soda?" I asked, stepping into the living room. My eyes wandered briefly throughout the place, since I hadn't gotten a good look the last time I was here. I still couldn't believe I was standing in Ponyboy Curtis' house!

My eye contact met Randle's, and I quickly looked away. Damn, that Greaser sure did creep me out. He didn't answer, just shook his head, and after what seemed to be an eternity of him 'sizing me up', he walked passed me and disappeared into one of the rooms.

"Tsssk…" I sighed noisily, crossing my arms and trying hard not to leave right then and now. Something caught my attention though, and I treaded forward to take a closer look. I could hear voices in the next room, but I didn't pay much attention to them. Picking up the picture frame, a small smile appeared on my lips caused' by the adorable photo of three young brothers wrestling on the floor. Pony must have been only 8 or 9 there; his face was contorted in pure joyfulness and laughter as his brother's tickled him. 

I caught a brief reflection of myself in the glass of the frame, and I saw how hideous I really did look. I accidentally dropped it back down onto the table; Pony would never see me as something delicate. He wouldn't ever be able to compare me to one of those flawlessly beautiful women in those Fred Astair movies. 

My hand was shaking slightly, and I shoved it into my pocket for it to stop. "Took you long enough…" Soda's voice came suddenly, and I turned around to face him. He stood by the doorway; his hair was barely greased, which made it slung over his forehead. It was unusual him not to be covered in the sticky tar.**__**

"Sorry, I lost track of time" I admitted, but I hadn't really. I was too busy contemplating whether to come or not, then I took another hour picking out an outfit in my flimsy closet. "Where's Pony?" Those words were out of my mouth, the same time they crossed my mind. I bit down on my tongue, and closed my eyes briefly. God, how desperate could I sound?

"He's not here" Soda answered casually, as he approached my standing form closer. I was definitely out of the loop at this point.

"Huh? Why?" I divulged easily.

"He went to the fair, with the guys." He said, as if it didn't even matter. Hello? Did he not realize the only reason I was there was for his little brother! "Only Steve, me, you…. and Cherry Valance are here" He continued, a grin appearing on his face, making his eyes stand out especially, they seemed to sparkle. 

"But I thought….I mean….But you said…." I stuttered, so dense as to what the hell was going on to begin my sentence correctly. "…..Hold on, Why is Cherry Valance here….in a Greaser's house? I know I'm not really familiar with any of this but…..I thought you guys are suppose to hate each other!"  More confusion was bottling up inside of me, along with annoyance. I've noticed, from the time I've unfortunately had with Sodapop, that he liked to drag things on until he got me completely panicky. 

And you know what?

**IT'S WORKING!**

"Come on, Soda. Cut the crap, and tell me what's going on?" I said, looking up at him, he was so much taller than me. He didn't sky over me like a building, but if he could, I think he could pick me up in his arms and envelope my smaller form any moment….

"Fine, fine! I'll tell ya', I actually had no intent on havin' Pony here because, who's kidding? I doubt he'd see ya' and-.." Hurt sketched through my face then, and he stopped.

"Would want me" I finished, dropping my gaze away from his. "Gosh, Soda, you have the greatest tendency to put everything so simple…You could of just said, I'm ugly, and Pony wouldn't want to ever be with a…nerd like me." I was trying my best, not to let him know this time I actually took offense to his forthright comments on my looks. 

"I didn't mean that, Jara….What I'm tryin' to say, is that….You need a **_little_** work done on ya', just a little. It's sort of like an…extra push, ya' know? Pony would surely notice after I'm done with you," He said, but I hadn't been looking at his face to see if he was being compassionate or not. Nah, he couldn't.

"Hey" Soda whispered, his voice softer than I was use to. "I didn't mean you were ugly…some people are just different….and you happen to be…unique" 

I found myself smiling once more, and I hurriedly wiped at the tears that had sprung to my eyes. I was fine, just fine now. I was almost embarrassed to let myself be taken over by emotions all of a sudden like that. "So, what you're saying is that I need…a make-over, is that it? 'cause I'm getting kind of lost" I replied, my voice sounding a bit croaky to me. Great, I sounded like a freakin' frog now, how attractive.

"No wonder you're are the smartest girl in school….bingo!" He answered, back to his old ways in sarcasm. 

I rolled my eyes, "…What do you have in mind?" I questioned, I would be lying through my teeth if I said I wasn't the slightest bit interested.

"You'll see….Cherry, can you come in here?" He called into the next room. When I saw her brown-red hair, I immediately knew this was no joke. 

"Leave me alone!" She said, and I glanced at Soda. He returned the same bewildered expression I had. 

"What? I didn't do anything" Randle's voice broke in, and I saw him come out from the room, behind the fiery-head cheerleader. He had a red streak across his cheek; both Sodapop and I stifled our chuckles.

"You had your hand on my thigh!" Cherry heightened her extremely girlish voice, but from the way Steve held his hand close to the spot she had obviously hit him, I knew she was no damsel in distress. 

"Ok, guys…Jara knows what's going down tonight" Soda quickly changed the subject, and got in between the curly-haired Greaser and the rich Soc girl. I honestly didn't really know what was going to happen, but what do I have to worry about? My reputation up till now hasn't been pretty, and I can't brag about being a delinquent either. The biggest trouble I've ever been in, was taking a book from the library without signing it out. **_Oh, wow, what a rebel I am! _**No, no, it must be the time I fell asleep with the T.V on…

"Let's get started then, I don't have a lot of time…" Cherry said, taking my arm and beginning to move into the room. I looked back at Sodapop, giving him an unsure gaze but he only nudged me along and closed the door. Leaving me alone, in a cramp bedroom with the school's most popular girl.

Sodapop's POV 

Sitting down next to Steve on the sofa, I couldn't help but get overly anxious. This was really happening, and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I had, had the idea that Jara would be kicking and screaming. She must of wanted Ponyboy more than I thought, but what was I going to say when she finds out that my little brother really had no intention on '**_getting with her_**'? Love isn't suppose to be planned nor promised, it's something that she has to do on her own, which is win Pony's heart. 

**Yeah, that sounds like a good excuse….**

Jara's POV 

****

I sat on the end of the bed, Cherry was standing in front of me, and it seemed to me that she was thinking. She kept humming, "Hmmm" and sometimes saying, "This could work….yeah, maybe a little there…" then she'd trail off, and go back into deep thought. That had been five minutes ago, and I was **_still _**waiting for her to return to the land of the living. 

"What are you planning to do?" I asked, shyly.

She turned to look into a blue bag she had placed on a chair, and began to rummage through it. "A lot….It's really hard to know where to begin" Cherry said, glancing up at me. 

"Jeez, I'm not that of train wreck…am I?" I replied, a pout forming on my non-made up face. 

"Wait….I think I got something" Cherry cut in, she outstretched her arms and took the clip I had pulling my hair back, out. "What are you doing!" I exclaimed, as my long hair came tumbling down over my shoulders. **_Great_**, it was going to take forever to put it back up again.

The cheerleader didn't seem to mind though; she had a smirk on her face. "I found your problem," She said, as if this whole time she had been inspecting me, which I'm guessing she was. "I have a problem?" I responded, helplessly.

"Yeah, your long hair doesn't go with the shape of your face….but I know how to fix that" She answered, giving a wry giggle and leaving me actually a bit disturbed. Me being the oblivious geek that I am, I blurted out a "What do you have in mind?".

I gasped, right before I saw the cheerleader retrieve shiny metal scissors from her blue bag, and I could see my horrified reflection bouncing off it.

                                                                                  **_SEQUENCES_**

Un-wanted tears glazed my eyes, as I stared at my dark locks lying on the wooden floor, I didn't even want to look into the mirror. I kept refusing, every time Cherry pushed her small compact mirror towards my sitting form, although I was too dazed from knowing that the same long hair I've had since I was five, was completely gone, totally hacked off! Ugh.

"Your hair looks gorgeous, Jara!…If I  had a weirdly shapend head like yours, and didn't already have great hair, I would most definitely get the same style" The cheerleader gushed for what seemed like the thousandth time she kept raving on about what a fantastic job she had done on hair. I apparently didn't believe Jack nor one second of it.

"What are you talking about!? I look like a freakin' boy!" I practically cried out.

"No way, it suits you perfectly. My friend Marcia has the same haircut and she has boys falling at her feet" The redhead reassured me, as she flashed a huge smile and then narrowed her vision to look into her "**_magic_**" blue bag. Damn, how much stuff could she keep in there? What is she? Mary fuckin' Poppins!

"Stop lying-.." At that very moment, I caught glimpse of myself in the bed stand mirror and as I got up, my face was contorted in shock.

"Oh my god…" I whispered, finally seeing the full-frontal part of my new haircut. "Stop being so melodramatic, Jara. Your hair looks wonderful" Cherry reminded me. I replied by breaking out into excitement. "Of course it does!" I exclaimed, rather loudly.

"I can't believe I didn't do this sooner" I continued, passing a hand through my silky black hair that ended slightly above my shoulders. 

"Maybe it's because you didn't have a great stylist like me to do it" Cherry said absently, as she continued to rummage once more in her bag. "Yes, got it" she let out, when her hands wrapped around some object I couldn't tell what.

"I don't know how I can repay you!" I responded, turning back towards the cheerleader and giving her a hug, although I'm usually the kind of person who doesn't really show lots of affection towards people, especially someone like Cherry Valance, I just couldn't retain myself. 

But the Soc didn't seem to mind, she smiled and giggle good-heartedly "I'm glad you like it that much", She pointed out.

"I do…Well, I better be going now, it's getting kind of late…bye" Just when I was about to head to the door, and reach for the knob. I felt Cherry's hand around my arm, "Oh no you don't, we still have a lot left to do" She explained, bringing me around in a circle which made me fall back onto the bed with a "**_thump_**"

"When was the last time you cleaned these monstrosities?" The cheerleader asked, as she hovered in front of my sitting form, she was staring down at my eyebrows which must of looked like hairy barbed wire really.

"Apart from ever…" I replied, rolling my eyes and giving a rather annoyed snort as Cherry continued to move my head from different positions, trying to find a good angle. Maybe I shouldn't get so bothered by that, at least she was making an effort to watch how she did my eyebrows carefully. I didn't want to step out of this room looking like Beaver Clever. 

"Figures" The Soc muttered, but when I was about to retort some sort of comeback, I yelped "Ow!" instead. Feeling a sudden pain between my eyes, as Cherry continued to pluck my eyebrows with her tweezers.

"…So, you and Pony, huh?" She out of the blue began to make conversation, while I tried hard not to curse out-loud. God, how did all those girls in school go through this process, without wanting to faint? It **_had  _**to be a new kind of torture…

"Um, how do you know about that?…If it was Sodapop, I'm going to kill him…or just stare at him until he gets mad" I said, predicting an impending headache coming along.

"It was a hunch, I'm good at telling these things" Cherry replied, looking down at me briefly with a smile and continuing to do her job.

I shrugged, trying not to be so obvious. Geez, did everyone know I had a thing for Ponyboy Curtis? "To be completely honest, the only reason why I'm here is for him." I admitted, suddenly over-taken by embarrassment. I felt my cheeks flush somewhat, and I tried avoiding the cheerleader's knowing gaze. Although, it would be much easier to do if she weren't two-inches before my face, looking directly in between my eyes.

"That's cute" She commented, passing a thumb over my eyebrows which, hopefully, meant she was done. "I'm **_done_**!" Cherry finalized, sighing as if she had just come back from a hard day's work.

"Marvelous…Can I go now?" I replied, unintentional mockery of her voice vented in mines.

"Nope….Gosh, has anyone ever told you that your pores are as big as a route canal?" Cherry straightened out her back, and turned to poke around in her make-up kit. "Wow…." I said, in fake awe. "Do you even know what a route canal is?" 

"Let's not get snippy here, don't forget who's doing you this favor…" She reminded me, taking a blush brush and passing it across my pale cheeks. "Yeah, and why is that? I'm still not understanding why you, out of all people, decided to do this for me?" I was still completely in the dark to how I got myself into this; it couldn't have been so easy as Sodapop wanting to help someone out in their love-life. There was something more, and I had a strange feeling, I didn't want to find out.

 "You don't know, do you?" Her small powdery-smelling brush stopped in motion, and she observed me with an almost disdainful expression. "Know what?" I countered, getting tensed from the third degree the Soc was turning into so rapidly.

"Uh" The cheerleader stammered, a blank appearance visible on her flawless face. "Nothing, never mind" She finished, shaking her head from a small bemuse, probably from the heat that was building up upon us in the small cramped room we were in. I decided not to push any further into the conversation, but I definitely could sense something **_fishy. _**I'm not completely dunce.

****

****

Sodapop's POV 

Right after I saw the almost fear stricken look Jara had on her face before she disappeared behind the door of my room with Cherry, I hadn't even left the doorway, and that was about two hours ago. Leaning on my arm, which was against the wall, I waited impatiently for the end results of this makeover. I didn't even realize I was sweating something fierce, was it out of anticipation or the heat? 

"What's taking so damn long?" I asked out-loud, nervousness crawling up on me. I raised my hand up to my face, and began biting at my nails, I stopped when I tasted the car grease which was left over from today's work at the DX under my finger nails. 

"Sit down, Soda, let the Soc do her thing. You saw the geek, she aint' exactly a beauty to begin with…" Steve reassured, while sitting back patiently and not to mention, comfortably on my couch. Before realizing what I was doing, I gave Steve a small glare. For some reason, I didn't like him even mentioning Jara in that kind of way. Sure, she wasn't exactly the next Judy Garland but she still deserved some respect. It just bothered me.

Steve noticed my change in mood, and quickly commented on it "Shoot, what crawled up your ass and died?" Okay, I guess you could call it a comment. Us Tulsa Greasers weren't big on using correct sayings.

"Nothing, I'm just a little…testy. Do you realize if Jara doesn't even pass as good-looking to those damn Socs, it could mean my firmly toned ass?" I was beyond frustrated at this point. **_Testy_** couldn't even be a good word to sum up how I was feeling at the moment.

"Don't sweat it, buddy. I think the Soc can pull it off…" He said, giving me his best "**_it's going to be alright_**" face. I sighed dramatically, laying my back on the wall and beginning to bump my head repeatedly on it. I kept hearing the girl's voices here and there, but it was pretty much only "Ow! Oh no, you're not using **that thing** on me", they were mostly Jara's by the way.

"Sit down, man! You're making **_me_** nervous by being so fidgety" Steve broke the silence that was building up again, and brought me back from losing myself in my thoughts again. Gosh, I can't even remember **ever** thinking so much, I usually have a lot of energy and skip that part. 

I noticed my foot was stomping itself on the floor, and I was drumming my hands nonstop on my side. "You're right, I should sit down." I agreed, stepping forward and dropping into the seat next to the curly-haired hood. He grinned as I sat down, and patted me roughly on the back "That's a good Curtis'" 

Eyeing him, I arched a warning eyebrow "Don't push it"

He brought his hands before himself, "Warning taken…. Why don't we watch some T.V?  It'll take your mind off of waiting" Steve suggested, reaching to turn on the television set. I groaned, shaking my head "I couldn't possibly watch T.V now…" 

"Come on, loosen up" My best friend said. I gave him a tiresome smile, and replied "Sorry, man. Don't think I could concentrate while watching "I Dream of Jeannie"…"

He laughed, "I know I wouldn't! She's sure is a looker! I don't know how that Major Nelson can control himself with a fox like her running around in those pink pants and that shirt, which looks more like a brassier" Steve continued, nudging me and furrowing his eyebrows. 

"Beat's me…. I'm more of a "Bewitched" kind of guy…" As those words came out of my mouth, the door to my room began to open. I immediately shuffled to my feet, but stood where I was. Steve did the same.

The first person to come out of the room that I shared with Pony, was Cherry. She looked as if she had arrived from working hours in a factory. "Well?" I suddenly said, anxiousness seeping from every pore in my body.

"Gentleman and…..Um, well, Gentleman, I present to you, after hours of grueling work….the **_new_**, and approved, by the fabulous Sherry Margaret Valance…." 

"Are you done yet!?" Steve and I burst out at the same time.

"**_Sorry, _**I didn't realize you two were so…**_Testy_**" That word again. She scowled at us some more, and after crossing her arms, she continued. "Before I was so rudely interrupted…Say hello to the new, not really improved, but kinda new Jara Pagan!" 

I waited expectantly for her to appear, my mind racing with a billion images of how she could look like. When Jara didn't come out from the room, I moved forward from where I stood, it was like everything was in slow motion. 

"Jara Pagan, get your cute butt out here!" Cherry ordered, all signs of exhaustion were gone. She poked her head into the room, and I heard them start to argue. "No! I'm not going out like this…. I look like a…a…" The cheerleader cut off Jara with a "You look like a Prom Queen, a freakin' **_jaw-dropper_**…Now, come out….Before I get tired of being nice, and decide to personally torture you everyday of your life with those tweezers" 

"There goes that sweet-and-innocent Soc image" Steve muttered beside me, I nodded numbly. Wanting to run into the bedroom, and see how the "bet" looked.

"…Fine, I'll go" 

The first thing I saw was a small foot step out from behind the wall, it was encased a black stiletto heel, her crimson polished toes peeking out from the front. They went along with her golden skin. '**_She had the cutest toes ever…'_**

****

My eyes trailed up her strongly built legs, they were incredible. Her dimpled knees, which the trim of her red dress ended. I hadn't even seen her completely, and yet her surprising chiseled body was absolutely breath taking. **_This_** is what she was hiding under those baggy mismatched clothes of hers. 

I continued to look at her curvy hips, which were clad with a scarlet dress that once belonged to Sandy or was supposed to anyhow. I had bought it for her the day before she dumped the news that had me crying in bed for weeks. 

But at this very second, Sandy was as far from my mind as she could possibly be and that dress, I'm glad I kept it….

It looks fantastic on Jara.

Being the guy that I am, I couldn't help but also notice that above her flat abdomen were her small breasts, which a long pendant hung in between so gracefully.  A tin red strap attached to her outfit was swooned around her bare neck and tied itself there. I didn't realize, I could see so much of her beautiful upper body without the long ponytail she usually had. 

Surprised, my mouth hung open slightly, ok, my jaw was on the floor! Cherry's earlier comment was right on the spot, she **_was_** a jaw-dropper, and she **_did_** look like a Prom Queen, including much more. Her hair was cut above her creamy-colored shoulders, and a lock from her dark tress fell beside her now sea-green eyes, which were timidly looking down at the imaginary spot on her manicured hand.  

She bit her crimson colored bottom lip, and I almost jumped back when she looked up and met my eye contact. My heart was pounding for some reason, and I felt like I was under a spell…. over the loser of Tulsa High! It dawned upon me that I shouldn't be so enthralled with the bet.

Jara's POV 

When I stepped out into the living room, it was filled with gawking faces, even though technically it was only two and one that I was beginning to become highly afraid of, I wanted to hide under a rock. 

I tried not meeting anyone's stares, by watching intently at my hand. Wow, I still wonder how it could be possible for a person's nails to look so shiny…

**_Wonderful_**, I sound like one of those stereotypical flakes at school.

I began to bite my bottom lip, tasting the lipstick and grimacing, until I met Sodapop's gaze. Oh god, he looked like he had seen a grizzly bear. I felt stupid all of a sudden, and thought that maybe I had wasted my time here. "You-you look…incredible" those words were almost foreign to me, no one's ever said that to someone like me. What shocked me even more was that Sodapop Curtis uttered them.

"Not bad…Not bad at all" Randal was saying, gulping down the lump that I could see was in his throat loudly, and passing a hand hurriedly through his hair. 

"Not bad? I did a great job on her!" Cherry said, it sounded like I was an object or machine that had needed tuning. 

After looking back and forth from the cheerleader and Randle, I realized Soda was still gaping at me. I shifted uncomfortably, feeling self-conscious but that wasn't new, I always felt this way but I sure never looked like this though!

I was prodded lightly on the back by Sherry, making me stride closer to the Greaser, but right when I saw his hand reach for mines, another one grabbed it instead. 

Randle looked down at me, a smirk on his face, I could see his front tooth was slightly chipped. "Ok, no mustache to be seen, no hairy armpits, and definitely no hairy legs, she's good to go" He observed me.

"So, she's not a hairy girl, what's that suppose to prove?" Cherry Valance retorted.

"It means she's decent looking enough to…." Randle started, but was pushed to the side unexpectedly by Soda, the hood's hand loosened its grip on mines. Since I wasn't wearing pumps, which I was more use to in walking then these stilettos that have been branded by me with "Killer High Heel Shoes", I began to stumble forward. 

 I was moments away from meeting my fate with the living room floor, when I heard a ""Hey, Soda! Me and Two-Bit are back!"  And the slam of the screen door. As I came tumbling down, arms abruptly came to my rescue. It was actually more like I fell into them. I quickly steadied myself by gripping onto the strangers (I thought they were Soda's) forearms, while I tried getting back onto my standing position.

When I raised my head, I found myself staring back at a pair of green/gray eyes.

They could only belong to Ponyboy Curtis.


End file.
